Repost of my Fiesta Bean Salad

This is a post I did almost two years ago. I thought with the summer here and barbecues and parties going on I would repost this recipe. The link is below. I hope you enjoy this salad if you try it.


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Gnewvegan

http://invitationfrom-gnewvegan.blogspot.com/2008/07/fiesta-bean-salad-by-gnewvegan.html

Curiosity about boiling water

The other day I wondered is boiling water an effective way to remove germs and bacteria? I personally do not like the taste of tap water. Part of my growing up we would drink water directly from a spring or bottled water. Now I could taste the difference of the tap so I only drink bottled water. But with bottled water you also have the problem of plastic which is not good for the environment. I know there is also a filter one could pass their water through. I did a quick research online to see about my question. From the few sites I read although boiling does not get rid 100% everything it does the job adequately for the germs and bacteria that could be harmful to us. I found a site also that compared boiling water to filtered water and basically it said either or does the trick. With the boiling you do have to have it at a bubbling boil for at least one to two minutes from what I read for this to be effective. Regarding the taste I saw two different opinions. One site said that the boiled water may taste better than a filter because the filter may have a charcoal type taste. Then I read that some people may not like the boiled water because it may leave it with a flat taste due to oxygen being removed from the water. But a way to assist with that is to pour it between two containers after it has been boiled (and I assume cooled) to add back some of the oxygen. I thought this would be interesting to share and it is nice to know you have a few choices.

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Gnewvegan

Not All Vitamins Are Vegan

This is post I have been wanting to do for a while. I am always learning something new about being a vegan. Throughout my journey one of the things I learned was that the vitamins I was taking were not Vegan. I was not happy about that when I found out. I started doing some research on the internet to find out what is in vitamins that make them not vegan. I won’t get too technical instead just give you the jist of it. Vitamins are made from plant and animal sources, or synthetically in a lab. Examples of non vegan ingredients are lactose, gelatin, insects, and the actual vitamin component. In reading about gelatin there are vegetable gelatin alternatives available. Although I am not sure how their consistency is compared to the animal derived. But, the point is if you see gelatin as an ingredient know it can be from an animal. So what is one to do in this situation? Well, luckily there are companies who make vegan vitamins. The first thing you can do is to call the number on the back of the vitamin bottle/s you currently take and ask them if the product has any animal ingredients in it. I have never had trouble having that question answered. It is from these calls I learned that remnants of insects can be in vitamins and that sometimes the actual vitamin type itself may be derived from the animal. I do not remember the vitamin derivative I was told I had that came from an animal but for reference I am talking about the letter for example Vitamin D or C. Once I found out I needed to change the ones I had I looked at the type I was taking, the mcg/mg/g amount on the back of the bottles and then went looking on line. I typed in vegan vitamins in the search bar and also browsed through vegan stores. There are choices so it is just a matter of choosing what is best for you. When you find vitamins of interest see if you can view the details of the content so as to compare it to what you are taking and then order. To name a few Deva, VegLife, and calcium soft chews by Nutrition Now are brands I currently use. I will re-post here web links to online vegan stores so you could browse through. And when in doubt for the requirements that you may need refer to a nutritionist or your primary care provider. I hope this information is helpful.

Sources of Information
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Vitamin.html

http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/faqingredients.htm

http://www.archure.net/salus/hidden.html

Online Vegan Shopping
http://www.veganstore.com/

http://www.vegangoods.com/

http://www.veganessentials.com/

http://www.cosmosveganshoppe.com/

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GnewVegan

Banana, Strawberry, Pineapple Cantaloupe Smoothie

This is a quick fruit smoothie I made today with fruit I had on hand. You can make smoothies with what ever fruit you have or like. Have fun with it, get your fruit and cool down at the same time.

Banana, Strawberry, Pineapple Cantaloupe Smoothie

Makes 2 ½ cups

1 banana, cut into chunks
½ cup cantaloupe, cut into chunks
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons crushed pineapple from a can with their juice (no added sugar)
2 strawberries, remove stem and any white part at the top, cut into a few pieces
½ teaspoon agave
¼ to ½ cup ice
2 tablespoons water

1- Blend all ingredients together in a blender or smoothie maker. Use up to ½ cup ice to make desired consistency.


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Gnewvegan

Israel Couscous and Lentil Salad

This is a post I did last year when I made this salad with ingredients on hand. I made it yesterday and thought I would re-post it. You can use whatever salad dressing that you like. Or you can make your own. I used rasberry vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and various seasonings like basil, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste . These are all dry spices and typical spices you would find in Italian dressing. You just use what you like the same way you would when making a salad.


Israel Couscous and Lentil Salad

Serves two

1/2 cup lentils, sorted and rinsed
1/2 cup Israel Couscous
3 cups water
1/2 of a 3 oz small onion, sliced (I like to leave in small rings)
2 medium tomatoes, sliced and halved if pieces are too big
salad dressing of choice or make your own

-Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a 2 quart pot.
- Add the lentils and simmer uncovered, stirring occasional for ten minutes.
- Then add the couscous and the other 1 cup water. Cover leaving a slight opening for steam to escape. Bring to a boil, uncover and simmer for another ten minutes stirring occasional.
- Taste the mixture and see if it is soft and tender.
- Drain into a collander and run cold water over it until it is cooled down.
- Put in a bowl and mix the rest of the ingredients.

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Gnewvegan

Corn and Tomato Salad

Here is a quick salad I made yesterday.

Corn and Tomato Salad

Serves one

1 medium corn on the cob (about 7 oz), remove husk and rinse off excess strands
1 plum tomato (about 4 oz), sliced and then halve the slices
1 medium fresh basil leaf, finely chopped
Smidgen of salt
Pinch of onion powder
Pinch of garlic powder
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1- With knife slice off the corn kernels into a bowl.
2- Combine the rest of the ingredients in the bowl and mix well.


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Gnewvegan

I made homemade Jam

Check out my post in my group on facebook. I made homemade Jam for the first time.

:)

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=105131089519354&ref=mf

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Gnewvegan